An affiliate event with Forest of Reading, with support from The Guelph Public Library.

Jess Keating is a zoologist-turned-author who writes with the sort of wisdom you can only get from multiple crocodile bites and skunk sprays. Jess has been making up stories for as long as she can remember, and at the age of eight, she even started a library in her room (mainly so she could charge her brother late fees). She lives with her husband in Ontario, Canada, where she is hard at work on her next book in the World of Weird Animals series.

What Makes a Monster: Monsters are real—and they’re everywhere in nature! Animal Planet meets Godzilla in this nonfiction picture book that puts the “Ack!” into backyard science. Some people think monsters are the stuff of nightmares—the stuff of scary movies and Halloween. But monsters can also be found right in your backyard. Animals like aye-ayes, goblin sharks and vampire bats may look scary, but they pose no threat to humans. Others, such as the prairie dog, seem innocent—cute, even—yet their behavior could give you goose bumps. What makes a monster? Read this book to find out, if you dare.

Deborah Kerbel is the author of ten books for young adult, middle grade, and primary readers. Born in London, England, and raised in Canada, she studied English Literature at the University of Western Ontario. Her books have been shortlisted for the Governor General’s Literary Award, the Canadian Library Association YA Book Award, and the Manitoba Young Reader’s Choice Award. Sun Dog, her first picture book, is a finalist for the Forest of Reading Blue Spruce Award. Deborah lives in Thornhill, Ontario, with her husband, two book-loving teens, and a rescue schnoodle named Freddie.

Sun Dog: Juno and her boy live in a red house at the top of the world. One day Juno will be big and strong enough to help pull a sled across the tundra, but for now she is just a small puppy with a big-dog heart. Small puppies have to go to bed when their boys do, but Juno can’t sleep with the midnight sun shining out across the town. She slips outside to play. Returning to see a hungry polar bear sniffing around the open door, Juno has no time to be afraid. It’s time to find her voice, summon the big dog inside her, and save her beloved boy.

Jean Little: Born in Taiwan, celebrated children’s author Jean Little grew up in Ontario and graduated from the University of Toronto with an honors degree in English. A member of the Order of Canada, Little has received six honorary degrees and was awarded the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012. Her books have been translated into a dozen languages and have won numerous awards; including a Canada Council Children’s Literature Award (now known as the Governor General’s Literary Award, a CLA Book of the Year, the Little, Brown Children’s Book Award, the Vicky Metcalf Award and a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Award.

Joe Weissmann was born in Austria and came to Canada at the age of eleven. He studied art at the Museum of Fine Arts and Concordia University in Montreal and taught illustration at Sheridan College for six years. An award-winning illustrator, Joe works for book and magazine publishers in Canada and the United States and lives in rural Ontario with his wife and his old cat, Alfie. For more information, visit www.joeweissmann.com.

Harry’s Hiccups: Harry tries and tries to get rid of his hiccups. He tries drinking a glass of water upside down, he tries putting an ice-cold key down his back, he gleefully tries eating a spoonful of sugar. But nothing works! In this charming picture book, written by children’s literature legend Jean Little and illustrated by award-winning illustrator Joe Weissmann, Harry is afflicted with a case of the hopeless hiccups. It’s not until Harry has a surprise encounter with a different sort of neighbor that it seems like Harry might finally get some relief…hiccup, hiccup…